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TDI Coil Difference???


TC-AZ

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19 hours ago, Hamid said:

TDI is unbeatable machine.
 There still is nothing that will match them for depth on gold items!
They are no other PI units out there today that can equal it's performance.
 Those loops are rare, you are so lucky to have them.

Remember that well,  any coil has a name "TDI" works extremely well, just which one that needs to use in right place. 

I wish you all the best🙂

Hamid

The TDI is easily bested by numerous PI models on the market, so there is no way it is an unbeatable machine. It's a relatively ancient design, barely changed from the Eric Foster Goldscan from which it derives. Gold prospectors the world over would all be using a TDI were that true, and it simply is not.

I respect the TDI a lot, as I was involved in getting it to market, but making claims it can't possibly match does nobody any good.

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Thanks to all that responded.  Looking at different labels to see if 1st and 2nd generation, but alas no.  I too still learning the TDI SL from different users tips and tricks & all angles of conditions, etc.

TC-AZ

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/2/2021 at 3:56 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

The TDI is easily bested by numerous PI models on the market, so there is no way it is an unbeatable machine. It's a relatively ancient design, barely changed from the Eric Foster Goldscan from which it derives. Gold prospectors the world over would all be using a TDI were that true, and it simply is not.

I respect the TDI a lot, as I was involved in getting it to market, but making claims it can't possibly match does nobody any good.

Hi Steve and all, 

I understand from your reply that my quote is just a myth, I'm so sorry to say that, but   this what the  readers said of me.
Sounds like history repeating itself, right loop and right setting what the makes the difference that based on  its characteristics are, excellent depth over a wide range of object sizes and conductivities, and considerable flexibility in use with the controls available.
No other unit will not make the TDI series obsolete as they are for Serious detecting. 
Hamid.

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I always had excellent results with my TDI SL on saltwater beaches... Over the years, I‘ve scooped enough gold rings in the surf to pay for the machine 5 times over. Lightweight, easy to set-up and balance, with a rock solid threshold (even in highly-mineralized sand). Paired with the right loop it was a hard to beat package in the $1,000 price range.
 

A lot of people don’t have, or don’t want, to drop $5,000-$7,000 on a high-end PI detector. The TDI Pro, TDI SL and TDI BH filled the $1,000 niche nicely. Those machines will be sorely missed by many surf and relic hunters, including myself.

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21 hours ago, V3i/MXT Pro said:

A lot of people don’t have, or don’t want, to drop $5,000-$7,000 on a high-end PI detector. The TDI Pro, TDI SL and TDI BH filled the $1,000 niche nicely. Those machines will be sorely missed by many surf and relic hunters, including myself.

I agree.  Regarding 'affordable' ground balancing pulse induction (GBPI) detectors, Garrett seems to be in the best position (outside of Minelab...) to fill this market hole, given that they have the know-how/IP for both the ATX and now the TDI.  QED is already there but I don't even know how easy it is to get one of those in Australia.  Fisher and Nokta/Makro are both working on PI's that hopefully will be affordable....  But hope is a precarious concept to count on, particularly in the metal detecting world.

GBPI market leader Minelab has made one step (of the two desired steps) forward recently with the lightweight GPX6000.  But they seem satisfied to stay in the high priced range.  Obviously that's worked well for them, financially.

Maybe people like you, Steve H., and I are naive thinking a moderately priced GBPI would be a money maker.  The market researchers at the big (surviving) metal detecting companies seem to have decided that, in the past several years anyway.  (Multiple tongue-in-cheak words/phrases in those two sentences!  :biggrin:)

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  • 3 months later...

TDI is an excellent beach detector, no doubt about it. Still the best ground balancing beach PI available.

I fully agree about machines being affordable, but if a person is a serious gold prospector, it’s a false economy. If I used a TDI instead of a much more expensive detector, it would cost me money, not save me money. It’s basically an arms race in the goldfields, and anyone not running the best gear available is at a significant disadvantage. The difference between a TDI and a top end machine might be $5000, but that is maybe three ounces of gold, and the people I’m referring to are those that expect to find that much and more. Certainly, for casual detecting, saving money up front is important, when there is no expectation of the gear turning a profit. But for serious prospecting… well, almost nobody I know uses a TDI, and that’s just a fact.

I’m not trying to talk the TDI down, I’m a huge fan. But overselling it’s capability does not serve the machine, but sets it and the purchaser up for disappointment. I’m an undersell, overdeliver type of person, and extremely familiar with the performance differences between these models. The TDI runs neck and neck with the MXT in mild ground, and only really has an advantage in severe ground. I’d actually rather use an MXT in mild ground, as it will hit smaller gold than the TDI. And compared to high end PI detectors, the TDI is not even close.

There is hope I think for something affordable that does have more power than a TDI in the next couple years, from Garrett, Fisher, or a Nokta/Makro. Nobody would be happier than I to see something that lets the air out of Minelab’s high prices. I’ve been beating on companies for years to do just that. I thought Fisher would do it this year, but they have run into roadblocks. Nokta/Makro is taking far longer than I thought they would. I’m now hoping Garrett finally steps up, as the White’s purchase is a catalyst for them moving forward.

 

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I like the Tdi Pro and Tdi Sl, but I am  a beach detectorist who sometimes likes to go bush and explore the goldfields. So having used these machines almost under 'all conditions' I have some idea of how they perform at their best. Mainly on the beach, that is where they make the most sense. They will however allow decent peformance when relic hunting and prospecting or even coin hunting on specific locations. For an PI machine they offer us the ability to set the machine up for a variety of conditions. If I ever hunt in the UK for Roman or Viking treasure, I'll have at least a Tdi Pro  or SL with me.  This versatility, ability and the price were major considerations. As I am slowly moving towards 'gearing up' with the addition of a 4x4, camper trailer etc, the idea of spending tens of thousand on these items and then not buying something like the GPX 6000 does not really make sense. Minelab make excellent prospecting detectors and investments in technology that translate into increased peformance. For the beach I will probably continue with the Tdi, it does it so well. Other companies may step up to the plate and offer an alternative to the GPX 6000, I am not in a hurry. Pity Whites is gone but Minelab is doing well in advancing the game for both professionals and folks like me who consider it a hobby.

I no longer shoot film in my cameras, digital all the way and I'm better for it. A GPX for prospecting and the Tdi for the beach. Technology moves on and more often than not, it is to our benefit. Now begins the 'long' wait for GPX 6000 machines to appear on the used market. I'll keep saving and wait for the opportunity to make the updates. Until then I'll keep using what I have, still bringing home some good finds and having lots of fun in the process. All the best.

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On 4/2/2021 at 5:55 AM, Hamid said:

TDI is unbeatable machine.
 There still is nothing that will match them for depth on gold items!
They are no other PI units out there today that can equal it's performance.
 Those loops are rare, you are so lucky to have them.

Remember that well,  any coil has a name "TDI" works extremely well, just which one that needs to use in right place. 

I wish you all the best🙂

Hamid

Respectfully disagree with that first paragraph but I applaud your unbridled enthusiasm 👍

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